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Monday, April 18, 2016

Coach Macy (me) and the other Coach Macy (my dad) held our first practice last week for The Lightnings (five-year-old Wyatt’s soccer team, named because “lightning is super-fast, and so are we!”). It was a windy, thirty-something, half winter / half spring day here in Colorado, but we got those little guys going anyway. You’ve got to be tough if you want to live in the mountains, and cold fingers and noses make for “good mental training,” as the elder Coach Macy would say.

Our team focuses on three principles:

Play hardPlay with classPlay as a team

The teacher in me hopes each of our players can remember two of the three principles by the end of the season and that--maybe--one or two of the boys will actually understand the abstract concept, “Play with class.”

Growth mindset here: Even if “class” doesn’t make sense in now preschool, I bet if we talk about it at every practice for a few years it’ll be truly ingrained by second grade.

Or maybe third.

The Lightnings have me thinking about coaching and why I like it so much. I knew by 9th grade that I wanted to do work that focuses on helping people. In college, my pre-med quest sizzled out when I realized helping people in the clinic would probably involve sacrificing too much of my other, self-centered quest for endurance racing and travel. Teaching entered the picture, and it worked for awhile.

I feel fortunate on a daily basis to coach adult athletes to become faster, healthier, and happier; working professionals to be more accountable and effective; teenagers in preparation for post-secondary education; and The Lightnings, primarily towards scoring in the right goal.

It sounds kind of contrite, but I really think it’s true: If you want to get inspired yourself, start by helping someone else.

Thanks for reading,

Travis

PS- Here’s a coaching spotlight on one of my endurance athletes, Dave, who will be racing this weekend at the Gorge Waterfalls 100k in Oregon. Go, Dave!

"I have been running ultras for a couple years now and have been lucky enough to earn a few belt buckles along the way. During training efforts, my relationship with running had been a bit of a love-hate process. I wanted to go out and do the big runs, but had a hard time staying consistent in my training. I knew I was not reaching my true potential and wanted to get back on track. Having a set schedule and planning for my hard run days has made everything easier. I'm having so much fun on my easy days just going out and enjoying the trails!" - Dave, Vermont

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Motivational Speaking

Centered on stories, film clips, images, and lessons from decades of world-class level adventure racing, running, and endurance mountain biking, motivational talks delivered by Travis and Mark Macy provide compelling calls to action for corporate, educational, club, and other audiences. The father-son duo tailors its presentation to your needs, focusing on the ways in which lessons from endurance racing apply to work, family, personal fitness, and life in general. Please e-mail travis.macy@gmail.com to book your session.